Automatic hook for artificial arms.



Q. D. GORLBY. AUTOMATIC HOOK r011 ARTIFICIAL ARMS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 15, 1912.

Patented June 18, 1912.

WITIVESSES: mmvron' QuEN-rm D. CQRLEY @14 aw mg QUENTIN D. CORLEY,

or DALLAS, TEXAS.

AUTOMATIC HOOK FOR ARTIFICIAL ARMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1912..

Application filed February 15, 1912. Serial No. 677,827.

. To all whom it may concern:

nature of a spring tending to bear againstthe other, the hookextremities having the function of fingers between which variousarticles may be grasped.

A further object is to provide a simple mechanism by which the two hookmembers may be adjustedv either in a spaced relation to each other or inclose contact, said adjust-ments being both accomplished by a slightmovement of the arm which carries the hook.

A still further object is to provide a hook for artificial arms thatwill be especially adapted for holding a pen, pencil or similar article.I

Finally, the objectis to provide a hook of the character described, thatwill be strong, durable, and comparatively simple in construction, andone that will be adapted to perform a considerable number of operationsfor which the appliances now employed for a similar purpose areunfitted.

VVit-h these and various other objects in view, my invention hasrelation to certain novel features of the construction and operation, anexample of which is described in the following. specification andillustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view of the hook inside elevation, showing the samesupported from the extremity of an arm, the lower portion of which hasbeen amputated, the two members oiprising the hook being shown adjustedin a spaced relation to each other.

Fig. 2 is a top view of the hook, showing the same employed to grip apencil, the con nection with a sleeve carried by the stump of theforearm being shown sectionally. Fig. 3 is an end view of the device,showing the hook members adjusted to that position in which they have.contact with each other.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, wherein like referencecharacters designate similar parts in all the figures, the numeral 1denotes a leather socketadap'ted to fit the shortened fore arm of anamputated upper limb, and laced tight thereupon in the usual manner. Ametal plug 2 is inserted in the extremity of the sleeve 1 and from theedge of said plug, a pair of oppositely disposed parallel bars 3 areeach extended to a point adjacent to the elbow. At these points, saidbars respectively have pivotal connection with a pair ofbars 4, whichextend a short distance upward at each side of that portion of the armconnecting the shoulder and the elbow, and are riveted or otherwisesecured to a leather sleeve 5 secured upon said portion of the arm bylacing. The bars 3 are also fastened by suitable means to the sleeve 1,with which they are contiguous. The construction above described formsan essential part of almost all artificial arms, and is setforth hereinmerely because of its relation to the invention proper, which will nowbe discussed.

The plug 2 is provided with a central threaded socket, which may be madeto re- -the shank 6 has been screwed as far as possible into. itssocket, and by its expansive pressure, resists any force actingaccidentally or otherwise to unscrew the hook. From the center portionof the base 7, there project-s perpendicularly a hook member 9,

'made integral with said base or made rigid therewith by brazing or asimilar operation. The end portion of the member 9 is bent laterally ata right angle, and is curved out-- wardly and rearwardly to form thehook proper as indicated at 10. The thickness of the hook 10 will besubstantially the same throughout, being equal to that of the member 9.The width of the hook, however, 1s gradually reduced from its inner toits outer end, terminating in a very small hook 11, bent outwardlythrough a half circle, its point being projected forwardly. A secondhook member 12, substantially equal in shape and proportions to themember 9, has its supporting extremity secured to the supportingextremity ofthe member 9. The

surfaces of said parts will be plane.

member 12 has the nature of a strong spring, its resiliency beingutilized to nor mally produce a deflection toward the member 9, so thata very positive contact may be established between the free extremitiesof the two members. The member 12 carries at its free end a'hook 13,considerably shorter than the hook 10, and extending adj acent to theinner port-ion of said member. When, the resilient force of'the member12 is unopposed, the two hooks 10 and 13 will lie in close contact, asshown in Fig. 3, except at their extremities which are made slightlydivergent. The outer surfaces of the .two members 9 and 12 and of thehooks carried by said members may be made slightly rounding, but theinner or,oppo lsjilte e member 12, at a point adjacent to its free end,is pressed or distorted outwardly, so as to form a channel 14, extendingdiagonally across said member. The inner face of the channel 14 isadapted to fit a portion of the cylindrical surface of a pencil 15'which may be inserted between the members 9 and 12. The pencil willfurthermore be gripped between the diverging portions of the hooks 10and 13, thus being held very securely in use.

Upon the outer surface of the hook member 9, two small bearings 16 aremounted in a spaced relation to each other, said bearings being disposedrespectively adjacent to the lateral edges of said member. In thesebearings are journaled the end portions of a pintle 17, having a ratchetwheel 18 ri idly mounted upon its middle portion. T e members 9 and 12are respectively provided with slots 19 and 20 to accommodate saidratchet wheel, t-heslot 19 being given a suflicient width to alsoreceive a cam 21 having the form of a square plate with beveled corners,rigidly secured to one sideof the ratchet wheel, the pintle 17 beingpassed through its center. The cam 21 is so proportioned that it mayhold the member 12 m a position substantially parallel to the member 9,when one of its beveled corners is contiguous withthe former member.When, however, one of the lateral edges of the cam is brought adjacentto the member 12, a slight space will intervene between the cam and saidmember and .the latter will not be displaced from contact with themember 9. Thus it is apparent that by subjecting the pintle 17 torotation through forty-five degrees, the hooks 10 and 13 may be spreadapart or allowed to make close contact, according to the position of thecam before rotation iscommunicated to the pintle 17.

At the opposite side of the ratchet wheel a 18 to the cam 21, a lever 22has one extreming the teeth of the ratchet wheel. When said lever isdisplaced in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1, the pawl 23 willengage the teeth of the ratchet wheel subjecting the latter to rotation.When the lever is displaced in the opposite direction, the pawl willslip over the ratchet teeth and the wheel will remain stationary. Fromthe free end of the lever 22, a cord 24 extends to the upperextremity ofone of the bars 4, being attached to said extremity by any suitablemeans. The length of said cord is such that it will be placed in tensionwhen the person using the device straightens out his arm, bringingthe,shortened forearm into alinement with the upper portion of the arm.The lever 22 may be thus subjected to such a displacement as will shiftthe ratchet wheel '18 and the cam 21 through a forty-five degree anglecausing the hook members to be adjusted either from or toward each otheraccording to the position of the cam relative to the member 12.

The many advantages and applications of the above-described device willbe readily apparent to one familiar with such applinot properly shapedto be gripped between the two hook members.

The small hook-11 is a very important feature of the device, and can bemade useful in an almost unlimited number of ways. Thus for example,after the extremity of the large hook has been passed through abutton-hole, the small hook may be caught at the ed e of thebutton-hole, and by a slight pull, t e garment containing thebutton-hole may be removed from engagement with the button. I Also thesmall hook 11 may be used in opening or closing a purse, or in tying oruntying shoest-rmgs or neck-ties. It may be used for turning the leavesof a book or periodical, and serves furthermore to dull the point of thelarger hook, decreasing the possibility of said point accidentallycausing an injury.

It is apparent that various changes and modifications may be made in theform and proportions of parts and details of the above-describedinvention, without de arting from the spirit or sacrificing the avantages thereof, and the same is therefore presented as including allsuch changes as come within the scope of the following claims.

'What I claim is:

1. An attachment for artificial arms comprising two hook members rigidlysecured to a common base, having their supporting ends slightly spaced,one of said members having the nature of a spring, tending to gearagainst the other or stationary mem- 2. An attachment for artificialarms comprising two hook members rigidly secured to a common base andhaving their supporting ends slightly spaced, one of said members beingnormally deflected toward the other member.

An attachment for artificial arms com prising two hook members rigidlysecured to a common base, having their supporting ends, slightly spaced,one of said members being normally deflected toward the other member,and means by which a spaced relation may be established between the twomembers. v

4:. An attachment for artificial arms comprising twohook members rigidlysecured to a common base, having their supporting ends slightly spaced,one of said members having the nature of a spring, tending to bearagainst the other'or stationary member, a cam rigidly mounted on apintle said pintle being adapted to rotate in bearings carried by saidstationary member, said cam projecting through a slot in the stationarymember, and means for rotating the cam through a desired are. I

5. An attachment for artificial arms comprising two hook members rigidlysecured to a common base, having their supporting ends slightly spaced,one of said members having the nature of a spring tending to bearagainstthe other or stationary member, a cam and a ratchet wheel rigidlymounted on a pintle, said pintle adapted to rotate in bearings carriedby said stationary member, said cam projecting through a slot in thestationary member and the ratchet wheel projecting through the slot inthe stationary member also a slot in the spring member, and means forrotating said cam and ratchet wheel through a desired are.

6. An attachment for artificial arms comprising two hook members rigidly,secured to a common base, having their supporting ends slightly spaced,one of said members having the nature of a sprin tending to bear againstthe other or stationary member, a cam andsratchet wheel rigidly mountedon a rotatable pintle, suitable pintlebearings carried on the stationarymember, the spring member being adapted to be engaged by the cam andforced to a spaced re ber, a lever loosely mounted'on the pintle, I

a pawl attached to said lever adapted to en: gage the teeth on theratchet wheel, and means for actuating said lever.

7. An attachment for artificial arms comprising two hook members rigidlysecured to a common base, having their supporting ends slightly spaced,one of said members having the nature of a spring, tending to bearagainst the'other or stationary member, a cam and ratchet wheel,rotatably mounted on said stationary member, a lever and a pawl adaptedto transmit rotation to said ratchet wheel, and a flexible connectionhaving one end fastened to the free end of the lever, and the other tosome point on the upper arm.

8. An attachment for artificial arms comprising two he k members rigidlysecured to a common base and having their supporting ends slightlyspaced, one of said members being acted upon by a force tending to holdit deflected toward the other member, and one of said members beingprovided with a diagonal groove or chan nel to receive a pencil or othersimilar obect. J 9. An attachment for artificial arms comprising twohook members rigidly secured toa common base, having their supportingends slightly spaced, one of said members having the nature of a spring,tending to bear against the other or stationary memher, and a slighthook provided on the outer or pointed end of the stationary hook member.

10. An attachment for artificial arms comprising two hook membersrigidly secured to a common base, having their supporting ends slightlyspaced, one of said members having the nature of a .sprlng, tending tovbear against the other or stationary member, the hook portion of thespring member being somewhat shorter than that of the stationary member,and the ends of the. hook portion of each member formed so asto divergeslightly.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

QUENTIN D. CORLEY.

Witnesses:

J. S. MURRAY, DvO. RAMSEY.

